With its evergreen trees, moderately affluent Caucasian citizenry, well-manicured lawns, and lack of rental properties, Wedgwood is as suburban a neighborhood as exists within Seattle’s city limits. But that doesn’t mean it lacks for eclectic, independent eateries with an assured sense of place. In fat, it’s (barely) hip enough to have attracted the Top Pot doughnut empire, which occupies a former service station across from the Grateful Bread bagel bakery at the intersection of NE 70th St and 35th Ave NE, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare.

While there’s no Latin chow to speak of in Wedgwood, there’s a smattering of Asian fare (I Love Bento, Black Pearl, Mr. Wong’s, a low-slung Thai restaurant whose name escapes us[Thai of Wedgwood]), and killer burgers (Wedgwood Alehouse) and pizza (Fiddler’s Inn) paired with a deft appreciation for local microbrews. But the heart of Wedgwood’s culinary scene is, was and (god willing) always will be the Wedgwood Broiler. While once the dominion of a clientele that boasted more dentures per capita in than any restaurant in the city, as the neighborhood has gotten younger–due exclusively to the deaths of longtime residents, as nobody ever leaves Wedgwood once they arrive–the throwback lounge scene has gotten livelier, thus proving once again that London Broils and stiff Manhattans know no generational boundaries.

Note: As part of the Vision Plan’s community survey completed by nearly 840 people, 77.7% of respondents said they’d like new Restaurants/Cafe’s in Wedgwood. A new hardware store, bookstore, and retail shops followed.